The virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) landscape has gone through some big changes over the past few years.
Some organisations are increasingly asking whether Citrix is still the right choice for them. Is it rising costs? Is it licensing complexity? Or is it the desire for a more modern approach? In many businesses, eyes are starting to wander.
In this article, we’ll explore the top Citrix alternatives available today, helping you understand which might be the right fit for your business.
Citrix has long been the go-to name in enterprise VDI solutions, but several factors are driving organisations to reconsider.
The licensing model has become way more complicated, with many customers struggling to understand exactly what they’re paying for (and why costs keep climbing). IT directors can spend weeks trying to decode their Citrix renewal quotes, only to find they’re paying for features they don’t use.
Beyond cost, there’s the complexity factor. While Citrix does have incredible depth of functionality, many firms find themselves using only a fraction of the available features. The overhead of managing and maintaining a full Citrix environment can be a headache, particularly for smaller IT teams.
The shift to cloud-first strategies has also changed the game. Modern alternatives can give you tighter integration with cloud platforms, simpler deployment models, and more predictable pricing. So, if you’re already invested in platforms like Microsoft Azure or AWS, native solutions make for a better experience without the need for additional vendor relationships.
Let’s look at some of the other options.
We’ve seen Azure Virtual Desktop transform from a promising newcomer to a genuinely compelling Citrix alternative. Microsoft’s native VDI solution has deep integration with the Microsoft ecosystem that most companies already use, from Office 365 to Azure Active Directory and beyond.
AVD works on a consumption-based pricing model. Rather than paying for named user licenses regardless of usage, you pay for what you actually consume. This can lead to big savings, especially if you’ve got seasonal workers or variable usage patterns. We’ve detailed the cost considerations in our AVD pricing guide, but the short version is that many organisations see serious cost reductions compared to traditional Citrix deployments.
The Windows 10/11 multi-session capability is a game-changer, allowing multiple users to share a single Azure VM while enjoying the familiar Windows desktop experience.
Performance-wise, AVD holds its own against Citrix, particularly when it’s properly optimised. The FSLogix profile container technology gives you speedy logons and persistent user settings. You’ve also got integration with Azure’s global network, so users get connected to the nearest data centre automatically. If you’re wondering how it stacks up directly, our detailed comparison of AVD vs Citrix breaks down the key differences.
If you’re already using Microsoft 365 and Azure AD, deployment can be nice and straightforward. There’s no need for extra infrastructure components like Citrix Cloud Connectors or NetScaler gateways; everything runs natively in Azure.
Amazon’s answer to ‘desktop as a service’ brings the AWS philosophy of flexibility and scale to VDI. WorkSpaces offers a good alternative for companies already invested in the AWS ecosystem, with the ability to provision Windows or Linux desktops in minutes rather than hours.
The pricing model is pretty straightforward: choose between monthly or hourly billing based on your usage patterns. For those with clear working hours or shift patterns, the hourly model can be a good billing option. Dev teams can benefit from this approach, spinning up powerful workstations for specific projects without long-term commitments.
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Following Broadcom’s acquisition of VMware and the subsequent spin-out of end-user computing to Omnissa, Horizon is still a powerful player in the VDI space. While the ownership changes have created some uncertainty, the technology itself is still a strong, feature-rich contender.
Horizon is one of the more flexible options. Unlike cloud-native solutions, Horizon can run on-premises, in the cloud, or in hybrid configurations. This makes it a good one for firms with regulatory requirements around data location, or those not ready for a full cloud migration.
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Sometimes the simplest solution is the best solution. Microsoft RDS might lack the bells and whistles of the fancier VDI platforms, but for many Windows-centric companies, it provides exactly what’s needed.
RDS has been around for decades, which means it’s battle-tested and well-understood. Your Windows administrators already know how to manage it, there’s extensive documentation available, and virtually every Windows app works without modification.
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Parallels Remote Application Server (RAS) occupies an interesting middle ground between basic RDS and enterprise solutions like Citrix. It adds a layer of functionality on top of Microsoft RDS, giving you features like load balancing, universal printing, and HTML5 client access without the complexity of full enterprise platforms.
Parallels RAS definitely has one of the more straightforward approaches. Installation typically takes less than an hour, and the admin console is intuitive. Most features work out of the box without extensive configuration.
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Windows 365 deserves a mention as Microsoft’s newest entry into the space. This Cloud PC solution gives you persistent, personal Windows desktops that feel more like traditional PCs than shared VDI. While it’s still maturing and the pricing model doesn’t suit all use cases, for certain scenarios (particularly for remote workers needing consistent, dedicated resources) it’s worth looking at. Windows 365 vs Citrix is a fundamentally different approach: individual cloud PCs versus shared infrastructure.
The open-source community has several Citrix alternative open source options, although these typically need a high level of technical expertise to operate. Apache Guacamole, for instance, provides clientless remote desktop access through HTML5. It’s useful for specific scenarios but lacks the enterprise features many organisations need.
For those wondering about Cisco‘s offerings in this space, while Cisco has various collaboration and remote access tools, they don’t offer a direct VDI competitor. Citrix vs Cisco comparisons usually focus on different aspects of remote working rather than pure desktop virtualisation.
Now you have an overview of the options, you’ll want to think about your own organisation. How are you going to make the decision? Here are some things to consider when selecting the right VDI solution:
Migration from Citrix takes some careful planning, but it doesn’t have to be overwhelming.
Let’s clear up some persistent misconceptions that might cloud your decision-making.
Reality: Features you don’t use are just complexity in disguise. It’s surprisingly common to see organisations paying for enterprise features they’ve never configured while struggling with basic day-to-day management.
Reality: Once you factor in hardware refresh, cooling, redundant internet lines, and that poor soul managing backups at 2 AM, cloud often wins. Plus, you only pay for what you actually use.
Reality: Users hate slow, complicated systems. They’ll embrace change if it makes their lives easier. Satisfaction scores can go up after moving from “superior” but complex platforms to simpler alternatives.
The VDI landscape has never been more competitive, which is excellent news for organisations looking for alternatives to Citrix.
But Citrix isn’t disappearing any time soon, and for some organisations, it’s still the right choice. If you’re running 10,000+ seats across six continents with complex compliance requirements and a team of Citrix specialists, switching might not make sense.
The organisations happiest with their VDI aren’t necessarily running the most sophisticated platforms. They’re running the right platform for their needs. You can have two-person IT teams successfully managing 500-user AVD deployments. Some enterprises save millions moving to “simpler” solutions.
The best VDI platform is the one you’ll actually use properly, not the one with the most impressive feature list.
At Synextra, we bring hands-on experience with these platforms and deep Azure expertise to help you navigate your options. Ready to find your perfect choice? Get in touch today.
